Indescribable
by warriors-icefire
Summary: With a new girl at the Tipton will one of the twins falls for her? Then throw a mysterious stalker, some OC's, many relationship and friendship twists, and lots of adventure into the mix. It'll be one interesting, exciting year! Please R&R! Bad summary.
1. Prologue

**The Suite Life of Zack and Cody**

**Indescribable**

Prologue

The old grandfather clock in the lobby read 11:55 pm that night, as an owl swooped outside the Tipton's doors. It was briefly illuminated by a car's headlights when the black GMC pulled up in front of the hotel.

The rear doors opened, and three figures stepped out into the night. Lugging suitcases and bags, they made their way through the revolving doors, and into the hotel. The oldest, an elderly business-like women, approached the front desk. The two children hung back at the elevator, still stuggling with their bags. One was a small boy of about five, and the other a taller girl who looked to be twelve, his sister. The concierge was sleeping at his desk and jumped when the lady tapped the bell.

"H-Hello!" The teenage worker exclaimed, embarassed to be caught sleeping on the job. He put in a cheerful face. "Welcome to the Tipton, how may I help you?"

Judging by his ruffled brown bed-head, the woman guessed there hadn't been many guests that night. "Yes. I'm checking theses kids in under the name 'Sanders.' Isn't there reserved suite for the night-club owner's family?"

The concierge tapped a few keys on the keyboard and clicked on something. "Ah ha! Here you are, Room 3, Floor 23. Are you their . . . um, mother?"

"Aunt Marie. Thank you very much, we'll be off." She briskly turned and hurried the kids into the elevator just as the clock stuck 12:00, and everything was bathed in the silver moonlight.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Zack! Cody!" Carrie yelled from the kitchen. "Time to do your summer school books!"

The two boys walked into the room, carrying their backpacks. "Awww. Do we have to?" Zack groaned.

"They are preparing you for the next grade, so yes. You do if you want to have a future in high school or college!" His mother replied.

"In that case . . ." Zack piped, turning around to leave the room.

"And you _will _have a future in school!" Carrie quickly exclaimed. To herself, she added under her breath, "I hope."

The twins sat down to get started. "Hey Cody . . ." Zack whispered. "You've won a lucky five bucks if you can give me the answer to number 3 . . . and 4, and 5, and 6."

"Dream on," Cody laughed.

Carrie made dinner and the boys finished their homework. They settled down to eat the spaghetti, and Carrie smacked her forehead. "I forgot to tell you! We have a new neighbor in the suite down the hall! She's a girl about your age, named Nicki."

"Really? Cool! We'll have someone new to hang out with. It's been getting a little boring around here since the summer is almost over. No families check in anymore," Zack exclaimed.

"Yeah. We can hang out at the pool and stuff for the last few days of summer," Cody agreed.

"Now remember boys, it's Friday and you go back to school on Monday. I want you to make friends with this girl, because she won't know anyone here yet. She's going to your school, so you should let her hang out with you there too. Nicki's probably pretty shy right now, I mean, she's in a new place with no friends," Carrie told her boys.

At that instant, there was a loud knock on the door, before it flew open and a girl with straight brown hair, and crystal green eyes came strolling in. "Hi! I'm Nicki! Are you the Martins?"

Zack smiled and whispered to Cody, "Well! So much for being shy, huh?"

He noticed Cody wasn't paying attention to him. Of course he was too busy staring at the new girl.

Carrie jumped to her feet. "Oh, hello sweetie! I'm Miss Martin, or you can just call me Carrie. Theses are my boys, Zack and Cody."

Nicki looked over at the boys for a brief moment. "What's up, Cody?" She gestured at Zack. "I'm guessing you're the athletic one. And Zack, I'm guessing you're the brains." She pointed at Cody. The twins laughed.

"Wait, don't tell me . . . I'm getting the sense I messed up," Nicki grinned. "So, Zack, you're the one going out for the school football team?" Again, she pointed at Cody.

"No, no. You had the brains and athlete thing right, but I'm Cody. The smart one. And that's Zack. The _other_ one." Cody smiled, with emphasis on _"other"_.

That just earned him a jab in the ribs from Zack. "Pleased to meet ya. And you're looking at the new _basketball player._"

"Hey, I'm not the greatest with people's names or hobbies, but I'm pretty good on the basketball court. I might try out for the team too, now that you mention it," She replied thoughtfully.

Carrie cut in, "Oh, Nicki, we were just about to have some cake. Would you like any?"

"But Mom, we weren't having any ca-" Zack began, but a stern look from her cut him off. Carrie hurried into the kitchen, and pots and pans already clanging after her.

At first he looked hesitant to say something, but then Zack spoke up. "Uh, I hate to tell you this but . . . there's no girl's basketball team at our school."

Nicki didn't look surprised. "Yeah, I figured I'd go out for the guy's team."

Cody, who had barely spoken, looked shyly up from his pasta, "But, do you think they'll let you? I mean, 'cause it's for, well . . . " He trailed off quietly.

Nicki smiled at him. "For boys only? Yeah, I know. But look at me! I'm a total tom boy!" She gestured at her faded jeans and old, plain green tank-top before continuing. "I guess that's why the whole 'boys only' limitation has never held me back before."

"So, uh, want to sit down?" Zack asked.

She nodded, "Sure." Zack pretended to grandly hold out a chair for her. Nicki rolled her eyes, but laughed. Cody just watched as the two dove into a conversation about the school basketball team, and their rivals.

A while later, Carrie came in holding a silver tray with a chocolate volcano cake on it. "Hope you like, so dig in kids!" She said dishing out four pieces of her masterpiece. Cody whispered to her, "Uh, Mom? This is just one of those microwave cakes in the freezer isn't?"

"Yes. Shhh," She replied. Nicki and Zack looked over at her. "I mean, yes! I just whipped this up for you! All by myself . . ."

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Muttering Obviously! . . . **

**A/N Sorry I forgot my author's note and disclaimer! Please read and review! Any suggestions are welcome, I'll try to incorporate them in if I can. Thanks to Storybee, who was the first to review my story! It took me a while to update because of computer troubles, and all. I tried last night, but the site was down! Sorry, so I'll be updating faster now.  
**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cody's eyes were heavy, but his mind wouldn't let him fall into the comforting sleep he wanted. No, he was thinking of Nicki.

The way her deep green eyes had specks of hazel and blue that shone when she looked at you, how her voice reminded him of a trickling creek when she spoke, when her laugh sounded like wind-chimes in the breeze or a bubbling stream. His mind wandered off and he ended up finally dreaming peacefully about what the next couple days with Nicki would end up holding. He was asleep at last, just as his watch softly beeped midnight.

"Cody! Codster! Cody, dude!" An all to familiar voice broke through the quiet morning in the suite. Cody moaned and rolled over onto his back. Two hands were shaking him awake, not all that gently either.

"What Zack?! Let me sleep!" Cody mumbled, his eyes slowly opening. He was right, Zack was bouncing on his bed, already fully dressed for the pool with a towel slung around his neck. Cody glanced at his watch; nine-thirty on a Saturday morning. "When is Nicki coming?" Were the first words that tumbled out of his mouth as he sat up in his soft tan sheets.

"Wow, not even a 'good morning?'" Zack grinned, as Cody jumped out of bed in his t-shirt and gray shorts. "Nope." Was all Cody replied.

Zack stood up and watched Cody frantically throwing on his swimming shorts and lathering himself in SPF 80 sun-lotion. "Dude, it's okay. I told Nicki we'd meet her at 9:40, you've got plenty of time. Cody grabbed Zack by the shoulders and spun him to face the clock on their dresser. "Plenty of time, huh?"

Zack laughed at him, "Man, we've gone to the pool almost everyday and you're never this nervous."

"Well, I . . . I'm just kidding," Cody replied with a fake laugh. His blue eyes said otherwise though, and he couldn't mask the anxious look on his face as he rushed around their room. Zack's face lit up with a teasing look in his own eyes.

He tossed Cody a towel and some sunglasses, "Now let's go so you can get to _Nicki_." Emphasis on 'Nicki.' Cody glanced at his feet, "What do you mean?"

"Aw, come on! You like Nicki, dude!" Zack laughed, just joking.

"I do not! Why do you think that? I never said anything about Nicki, besides why would I like her?" Cody exclaimed, looking even more anxious than before. Zack gave him a funny look. "So you_ really do_ like her, don't you?"

"Like I said before, no! Bye Mom!" Cody tried changing the subject as they walked to the door. "How 'bout those Rod Socks last night?"

"Cody, the Red Socks played on Tuesday! Oh, and . . . You like Nicki! You like Nicki! You like Nicki!" He chanted over and over, as they walked out into the hall. And into Nicki. "You like Nicki, you like Nicki!" Zack continued until he noticed Cody and her staring at him. "Oooohhhh."

Nicki and Cody turned red and exchanged a glance. There was an awkward silence for a moment, no one knowing what to say. "Just kidding!" Zack exclaimed finally, with a nervous laugh, "Now let's go!"

They all grinned and hurried to the pool. The sky was dark and threatening, but the kids decided to swim until there was thunder. With a glance at Zack, Cody pretended to slip and fall into the pool, pulling Nicki with him. They came up completely soaked, laughing as Zack yelled "Cannonball!" and leaped in beside them. There was a huge splash and Nicki and Cody both pretended to hold up 10's. They raced to the diving boards and decided to have a contest. They took turns on the low dive, and Zack went first with another cannonball. Cody went next with a perfect leap and dive.

Shyly, Nicki stood at the edge of the board. She took a long steady deep breath, then jumped, executed two perfect flips, and dove into the clear water with the tiniest of splashes. She came up to the surface to meet two very stunned boys. "Where'd you learn how to dive like that!?" Zack cried.

Nicki grinned, "I went to a summer camp one year, and I was one of the best students there." At those words, the sky seemed to thunder in agreement. "Should we go? I mean if it's gonna storm."

"Uh," Zack's eyes lit up as he devised a sudden plan to get Cody and Nicki together. He just hoped Cody had enough courage to make the move when they were alone. "I'm heading back now, but I guess you could stay for a while before it starts actually storming," He replied smoothly.

He hopped out of the pool and hurried away. That left a blushing Cody and Nicki looking at each other in surprise in the pool. The sky rumbled again, breaking the awkward silence. "Uh, do you want to, um, swim for a while?" Nicki asked, her face flushing. Cody gave her a shy smile. "Sure." They swam around, just hanging out and talking. Neither noticed Zack watching them from the roof of the pool bathrooms. He held a remote in his hand and a large stereo sat by his side. He watched the two just hanging out, and finally decided to intervene. He pressed the POWER button on the stereo and music floated softly down to the pool. Cody's blue eyes widened in surprise, and Nicki looked up to the sky, shaking her brown hair from her face.

_One minute and the earth begins to shake,_

_Two minutes and my heart begins to break,_

_Another minute and she makes me feel brand new._

_That's just three minutes with you! _

Cody looked over to Nicki, his face slightly pink. She returned his gaze, and Cody's hand somehow slipped over hers under the clear water. Zack whispered to himself, "Yesss!..."

_Four minutes and she's everything I see,_

_Five minutes and she's where I wanna be,_

_Another minute everything just feels so new._

_I need six minutes with you!_

"Hey, um, Nicki? Do you want to go out with me some time, I mean . . . On a date?" Cody's heart raced and his lips formed a shy smile."Yeah . . . I'd like that," She returned his shyness, no trace of the enthusiastic outgoing girl she'd been earlier. The moment faded away as there was a loud crack of thunder and then,

_Six minutes!_

**A/N: I'll hopefully update soon! That song was 6 Minutes by The Jonas Brothers. (Gosh, I love them!) Please R&R! Tell me if it was good or bad, all comments/ criticism is welcome! Hope you like it, it's my first attempt at any romance! Another thanks to Storybee, PigXiaolin101, and WKDVIP2 for your reviews!  
**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, thanks for all the great reviews so far! (This chapter is based a few days after the episode: Kisses and Basketball if that helps.) Since Cody got his happily ever after (For now . . .) I'm going to change the POV from time to time. I'm going to center this chapter around Zack, then the next around Nicki, then the next around Cody, and so on. I'm trying to stay in third person, but I might include some first person, or throw in some parts about other non-main characters. Kinda confusing, I know. Hope you like it! ( You know I love review . . . hint hint)  
**

Chapter 3

Zack gazed at the ceiling. He had been lying on his bed, staring into space for most of the afternoon. Zack's cell phone had been buzzing for almost 20 minutes, but he hadn't even noticed. The three kids, Nicki, Cody, and himself, had made their way back from the pool when more loud thunder shook the air. Cody had success, was going to live happily ever after with Nicki, thanks to him. Zack knew he should be happy for Cody, but he wasn't. He was jealous.

He wasn't jealous of Nicki, thank the heavens! Cody would have never forgiven him when he figured it out, and that would have been soon considering the whole twin telepathy thing actually worked sometimes. No, Zack had just ushered them out as soon as they had changed, and now they were at the park. He was jealous, of Cody's happily ever after that ha knew he would never have. Zack was in love with the one person he could never have. And luckily, it wasn't Maddie anymore.

* * *

_(Flashback to three days earlier)_

_"I'm really sorry about what happened at dinner!" I cried._

_"You mean the way you pretended to like me, I mean like me like me. Just so I'd play well?" Max retorted, still half glaring at me. I felt even more awful._

_"I wasn't pretending! Well, at first I was, but then I saw how pretty you looked and how much fun we had, and I realized I do like you . . . Like you like you," I replied, my face flushing._

_"Well, now I don't like you . . . or like you like you," She crossed her arms protectively._

_"At all?" I asked, my heart sinking with realization that we would never work out._

_"Well, I did, but the liking you liking you made me not like you," Her words cut through my thoughts, softly bringing me back to the present in her gentle voice._

_"Ten seconds!" Arwin exclaimed softly, clueless of our conversation as usual._

_"Well that stinks, because we used to have a great time together! Video games, spitballs, that time we put worms in Cody's pillow!" The words flowed from my mouth, in an excuse for to wanting to spend time with her. I mean, I did want to hang out with her as my best friend, but also hang out with her because of my feelings that she would never return for me._

_"Look, is there anyway we can just . . .pretend this didn't happen and go back to being friends?" She looked to me, and I was captured in her chocolate eyes. I hid my love-sickness and replied, "Yeah, friends."_

_"Good, one bucket and we have the championship dude!" The easy-going best friend comfortness was back in her voice instead of the tense uncomfortable silence._

_"Let's do it dude!" I grinned, and I could have sworn she blushed ever so slightly. The buzzer rang and we hurried back onto the court. Seconds later, the championship was ours. We celebrated and Max ran over and gave me a high-five. "Hey, um . . ." I began. I opened my mouth to say something, but stopped, shaking my head._

_"Huh?" Max asked, looking slightly concerned. "Uh, nothing," I replied, and shrugged it off. We ran over and joined the team to celebrate our victory, but I knew something was missing for me._

_(End flashback, **Sorry it was so long!)**_

* * *

Zack's POV 

Max. Yeah, I was still head-over-heels for her. She of course didn't notice, and remained my best friend other than Cody. Still moping, I finally got up and grabbed my cell phone. The number was familiar, but in my self-pity party, I mistook it for Cody's number. There was a message, but before I could listen to it my phone sounded again, telling me whoever it was was calling back. I flipped it open "Cody?" I growled. My eyes widened with surprise as Max answered. How did she always call right when I was thinking of her? Creepy.

"Wow, you're a grouch today aren't you?" Her teasing voice echoed in my mind.

"Uh, no. Just thought you were Cody. That's all." I replied my tone softer.

"Zack, are you okay?" The concern in her voice made me smile. I pictured her face in excruciating detail, her eyes especially.

"I'm fine, just a little tired."

"Okay, then I guess you won't want to come to dinner with me tonight. I got tickets for the new 'California Dreaming,' y'know the basketball movie."

"No no! I be there, what time?" I quickly stuttered. "Um, 5:30 to 10:45, since I figured we could get dinner at the Golden Globe, then hang out at the park until the movie started. We could just skateboard around and stuff."

"Sure, great!" I replied enthusiastically and started to hang up.

"Wait, Zack, I was also calling to ask you something." I sat on the edge of my bed, anticipating the question.

"I was just wondering, you looked a little down at our game. I know you said it was nothing, but what were you going to tell me?"

My heart raced. The decision I made that moment would change everything, affect my life forever. "Well, uh . . ." I began.

**A/N: Hahaha! Evil cliffie! Hope you like this so far, I'm definitely going to update tomorrow, but I don't have anymore time tonight. R&R! PLease! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update, I promise!  
**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update, and thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story so far, especially WKDVIP2 who has continuously come back and read and reviewed my story multiple times! Since I left you on a cliffie, I decided to go with two Zack chappies in a row, then I'll move on to Nicki, then Cody again. If Max becomes one of the main characters I'll add her to the cycle too. (Yes, I don't know where Max will end up, but I do know she'll be included in this a lot.) Please R&R!**

Chapter 4

"Zack? Are you still there?" Max's soft voice sounded even more worried now. My heart was still racing. I had to make my choice, and _now_.

"Um, I . . . I can't talk now," I knew Max wouldn't mistake the nervousness in my voice so I fibbed, and immediately regretted it. "I promise, we need to talk, so how about later tonight?" There, I had a chance to prepare myself now.

"Uh, okay sure," She replied. I let out a shaky breath I hadn't even known I was holding. "So our date's tonight at 5:30?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, I heard her gasp. I wanted to smile and say I knew what she meant, but I couldn't stop my heart from clinging to a last bit of hope. "Uh, I-I'll just see you at 5:30 tonight." She quickly corrected herself and I heard a faint buzz, knowing she'd hung up. _I am such an idiot! Why did I have to chicken out? _All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind as I flopped back onto my bed. I glanced at my watch; 3:20. Only two hours and ten minutes until I would have to face Max. I had no idea that two hours and ten minutes wouldn't be nearly enough time to prepare myself for that night.

* * *

Of course, I waited 'till the last minute to get ready, so at 5:20 I was frantically rushing around the room, while Cody stood in the doorway smirking at me. "See this is why I don't procrastinate!" He snickered. "Yeah, yeah," I muttered back. The restaurant was some what formal, so I finally decided on a light blue t-shirt and a pair of tan kacki shorts. At 5:30 I hurried to the lobby to meet a stunning Max. She was wearing a silk blue dress with her hair in two braids. She had a diamond bracelet on her wrist as well. "Hey Zack!" She greeted me, and we began walking to the restaurant a couple blocks away. She glanced over at me, "Is it just me, or did you actually dress formally?" 

"Uh, um yeah." I replied, a bit nervous. _This is so weird, being nervous talking to my best friend who just happens to be my crush. _I thought to myself. I relaxed as we slipped into our usual conversation about the Red Sox's game the night before, and our basketball team's chances of winning our next game. That reminded me to tell Max about Nicki, who was on a date with Cody at the Tipton's restaurant. Max's dad had gotten a job as the Night-club Owner's Assistant at the Tipton, and the owner just happened to be Nicki's dad. It turned out that Max and Nicki had already met, and actually become pretty good friends already. Max's dad had already had the job of assistant to the old Night-club Owner, so Max was living a couple floors down from Nicki and my family. I made a mental note to ask Nicki if Max mentioned her crush at all.

"Oh, we're here!" I exclaimed, holding the door for Max, who I could've sworn blushed a little. It may just have been the lighting though. We were seated quickly and I glanced at the six-page menu. I flipped through the pages, "No cheeseburger! What do they have here?" I cried. Max laughed. "Try the last page."

There was actually a king-sized cheeseburger with fries, but I decided on the spaghetti, and Max ordered a chicken salad. We began talking about the new concierge at the Tipton, since the other one had been fired for sleeping on the job almost every night. Some how the topic drifted to Patrick, the annoying waiter who had served us on our . . . date. I swallowed hard remembering it.

Cautiously, I gave a nervous laugh, "So, uh, remember Wednesday night when we were shooting spitballs at him? Good times, huh?" She looked confused. Oh great, was I going to have to remind her? Apparently, yes.

"When? We were shooting spitballs at him on Wednesday?" She looked genuinely lost.

"Uh, yeah, on our um," I gave a dry cough, " . . . date." She froze, then gave a nervous laugh as well. "Oh, um, yeah, good times! Hehehe."

I decided to push a little more. "Speaking of which, you look great tonight." I thought about trying a line I would've used to get any other girl, but c'mon! This was Max we were talking about! I decided to stay sincere.

"Oh, thanks." She smiled, and finished her salad. I thought I heard her mumble something about me, but I couldn't be sure. "So, want to go get our skateboards or something? The movie doesn't start for about twenty minutes." I suggested, paying for our meal. _Dang it's expensive here! My wallet hurts!_

_"_Actually, the movie starts in five minutes. Your watch must be wrong. Oh, I have a message!" She flipped open the pink rhine-stoned cell phone she'd gotten for her birthday as we started walking. I heard a guy's voice drift out of the speaker, and saw Max smile then laugh. Suddenly, I felt sort of . . . _jealous_. When she flipped her phone closed, I was right in front of her. "Who was that?"

She just gave me a okay-what's-up-with-you look, "That was Tapeworm telling me his dog chewed up his Language Arts homework. Mr. Smith didn't believe him until he showed him the bag of torn up papers. Are you feeling okay, Zack?" She looked a little concerned.

By now we had reached the theater, so I held the door open for her and announced, "Yeah! Perfect!" My voice dripped with fake cheerfulness. Luckily she didn't notice and we hurried in and grabbed our tickets.


	6. Chapter 5

** A/N: SOOOO sorry it took me so long to update! I've had a lot of computer problems lately, and I kept losing my work. I'm adding DarkElements10 Hiroshima's in this chapter. (Like I promised, _all_ credit goes to DarkElements10!) PLEASE R&R! Hope you like it! I'm switching over to Cody now, so you'll have to wait to read about Zack and Max!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hiroshima's (DarkElements10) or SLOZAC . . . DUH!**

* * *

Chapter 5

Cody sighed into his pasta, a content smile crossing his face. "Ready?" He grinned over at Nicki, who was also finishing up.

"Sure," She flagged over Patrick, the waiter. "Here, I'll pay half," She insisted. Cody shook his head and tipped the waiter five dollars before she could protest. He linked arms with her, and they walked to the door of the Tipton restaurant. They had decided to go to a nearby ice cream shop for dessert, and their bikes were parked outside. Just as they opened the door and stepped outside, a black van sped by and showered them in the dirty water lying in the street. It had been a rainy week.

"Hey!" Nicki shouted after the car. Cody just shook his head at the rude driver and they mounted their bikes. It was a short ride, and they were halfway there, moments later, talking and laughing about a new movie coming out. Cody saw movement to the his right, on a street through an alley. He brushed his neat blond hair out of his eyes, and they widened in slight surprise. "H-Hey Nicki, let's hurry up a bit," He said, not yet scared but deep in thought. They peddled faster, avoiding alley ways when Cody was in the lead. The ice cream shop was just a block away, when Cody saw what he had feared. He was about to call out to Nicki when she pulled ahead, and into another alley, "C'mon Cody! We're almost there!"

She burst out onto the next street, and stopped in her tracks. Cody pulled up beside her. "I think he's following us," He whispered. The black van had appeared at every alley way, and now as Nicki stopped, the van was sitting on the side of the street. A strange looking man sat in the driver's seat, wearing a beat-up cap and a torn jacket, above some visibly old faded jeans.

"Just back up, and we'll go back to the Tipton for dessert. This is too weird to ignore. I saw him at every corner, every alley way!" Cody whispered urgently. Unfortunately, his warning was too late.

The van slowly pulled over and the man rolled his window down, with obscene gesture towards Nicki. She and Cody gasped in unison. They turned as quickly as they could and raced away. Nicki was thoroughly shocked, "He gave us the finger! He gave _me_ the finger!" Cody gently put his arm on her shoulder, and they hurried towards the Tipton. Again, their efforts were wasted. At the next corner, the black van appeared again, and they were racing to keep away.

"Shit!" Cody muttered under breath, not the first time he had uttered a curse in situations like this. Boston at night was no place for kids alone, and hardly even teenagers.

Finally, at the Tipton, they were able to get inside and the van sped past the hotel. The two were breathing heavily and took off their helmets. Mr. Mosbey hurried over, gaping at Cody and Nicki. Cody had half a mind to shoot him a dirty glare.

"Cody! When I told you no playing football in the lobby, you bring in your bikes?" His voice was high-pitched in disbelief.

"No, for your information we were riding away from some freaky guy who was most likely trying to abduct us!" Cody cried. Mr. Moseby's expression softened, and he grabbed the phone on his desk. "What did he look like?"

Nicki filled him in on all the details she could. "What happened here?" A voice called from the elevator. Cody looked up and grinned. In walked Rikku, Rumiku, Sydney, Noah, Patrick, and Julius Hiroshima. They were followed by Ryan Cooper and Alan Brown.

"I said, 'What happened in here?'" Rumiku sat down next to Cody on a couch. "Hey Cody, can I see you for a minute?" Nicki interrupted us. He sighed and got up. "Hang on," He smiled at Rumiku, and she blushed. Alan grimaced, and glared after him, taking the chance to sit in his spot on the couch and talk to her.

Nicki pulled Cody into a hallway. "Okay, I'm gonna be as brisk as I can. Cody, I don't really like you. I saw how much you liked me and felt bad. But I can see you've already gone back to your old crush."

Cody looked at her in shock. "How'd you know about . . . that?"

"Zack told me, so are you okay with this?" Nicki smiled. This had all happened so fast, it was kinda funny. They had 'fallen in love' one day, then here they were the next. Cody glanced at Rumiku, and grinned, "Yeah, I am. Thanks Nicki."

"No prob, but are we still friends?"

"Of course. So I'll see you around?" Cody smiled. She smiled back, "Yeah." And walked off to her suite. He hurried back to the lobby, where Moseby was calling the police. Rumiku and Alan were laughing, and she pretended to push him off the couch when Cody got back. Alan frowned, then sat in a different chair, ignoring Cody and talking to Ryan.

"You okay?" Rumiku's eyes flashed in concern.

"Yeah," Cody told her about their night, leaving out the whole 'date' part. Moseby walked over, a worried look on his face. "Um, Cody?"

"Yes?" Cody's breath caught in his throat when he saw the look on Moseby's face.

"The lines are cut, and it's starting to rain pretty hard. We're stuck here over night and . . ." He trailed off.

"And what!?" Rumiku asked.

"I see the black van out in the parking lot."

Rumiku looked for the first time . . . scared. "This is freaky! Does anyone have any idea where Max and Zack are? I'm just... worried." She muttered standing up, and walking away. Alan followed her, worried. "Don't be," He tried to comfort her.

"Why?" Rumiku spun around, as Alan placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the lips. Cody stared at them, a look of hurt and shock plastered across his face. He stood and ran away, hot tears finally spilling down his cheeks. "Cody!" Rumiku pulled away, and looked after him . . .


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey, thanks to Monoculus who reviewed my past/ current chapters multiple times! You know I love reviews. It may even get me to update faster. (Hint, hint!) The first few chapters may have been a little indecisive or hard to follow plot-wise, but now I have a good idea on where I want to take this story. Here's the updated pairings: MaxXZackXRikkuXRyanXNicki, CodyXRumikuXAlan, and LondonXJuliusXMaddie. If you're confused, here it is again: Zack likes Max and Rikku, Rikku likes Zack and Ryan, and Ryan doesn't like Nicki back. Alan and Cody like Rumiku, but she likes them both. London and Maddie like Julius (Maddie doesn't always realize it), but he only likes Maddie. Okay, now onto the actual _chapter._**

* * *

Chapter 6

Ryan's POV

I silently groaned in frustration, looking from Alan, to Cody. Even though I hate Zack, Cody was pretty nice and we had turned out to be friends, much to everyone's surprise. But in reverse, Alan was my best friend and hated Cody because of the whole Rumiku thing. Who did I go to!?!? After a moment of deep thinking, I ran after Cody who was already halfway to the twenty-third floor in the elevator.

He needed my help more than Alan, who was holding the side of his head where Rumiku had smacked him. Thinking quickly, I flung open the door to the stairs, and raced up. There was a reason I had been on the track team for two years! I finally got up the stairs, and nearly collapsed at the top.

The elevator 'dinged' to tell me Cody had arrived. I hurried forward and managed to get in his suite before he slammed the door in my face. "Cody!" I cried, grabbing his arm. He spun around and jerked my hand away. I saw in surprise that he was crying, hot tears running down his cheeks.

"Go away! Why don't you go see if Alan needs you!" He shouted, his voice shaking. He whipped his dirty blond hair from his eyes, running to his room before I could get another word out.

I was suddenly reminded of a day when he and Zack were fighting and Zack had opened a drawer and grabbed something when Cody locked him out of their room. I hurried to the cabinet drawer and found a small gold key. It fit the lock perfectly, and I slowly opened the door. "Please, just go away."

I stared at Cody, before pulling a purple leather book out of my pocket. "Cody, just give me two minutes. Read this and don't ask. Alan made me do it." I tossed him the book with a small smile. He flipped it open to the bookmarked page, and slowly began to skim the neat, cursive words. I remembered what it said:

_From the desk of Rumiku Hiroshima:_

_Today the gang and I went to the park today and played kickball. I was one team captain, and Zack was the other. Kickball is one of the sports Cody's pretty good at, but I picked Alan first. Don't ask me why, I just did. So Zack picked Rikku, then I picked Alan, then Zack picked Max. I was about to pick Cody, but Alan told me to pick Ryan. I said I was going to pick Cody and he got mad. He started saying stuff like Ryan was our better friend, and we had known him longer and stuff. I told him that I didn't give a shit if we'd known him longer, Zack could have Ryan, so I was picking Cody. We argued until Cody finally pulled us apart, so of course Alan goes and shoves Cody. Sydney ran over and yelled at Alan for hurting Cody. Alan has always seen Sydney as a little brother, and he was pretty hurt that Sydney yelled at him. Ryan said he would be on Zack's team (Thank God! I know it was a sacrifice for him!) and Cody joined ours. Once everyone was okay, we actually got to play a couple games before it started raining and the lightening siren went off. _

_It really got me thinking though. I feel like I have to choose between them sometimes, Alan and Cody. Alan is so annoying sometimes, but I've known him forever and he is one of my best friends. He the type that wishes he was still a little kid, and acts like it half the time too. That's what makes him so cute, and I can't help it at all for liking him. He's just smart and funny and sweet and sensitive. Cody is all those things, minus the annoying part. He's so cute when he smiles, and he the most thoughtful guy I've ever met! He's smart and sensitive and sweet and funny too, and it makes it so hard to choose between them! But the more I think about it, Cody and I have never fought, and heaven knows Alan and I have! That doesn't make it any easier to pick one over the other, but I guess I just have to think about it. When school starts, I think I'll go to the first dance or so with Cody. I can always just say he asked me first, since I know he's that thoughtful and probably will! I guess I can go to the next dance with Alan, then Cody and so on. Unless my heart can finally make a choice and stop tormenting me with all of Cody and Alan's arguments. I hear someone coming, so I've gotta go. - September, 2009 -_

**(I just made up the year, it has no influence on their ages.)**

_-Rumiku Hiroshima-_

Cody looked up at me, his expression hard to read. He opened his mouth to speak, "Ryan . . ."

**A/N #2: Ha ha! Cliffie! (Sorta...)**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Yay! I finally got 6 chapters out! I'm gonna try to get a chapter finished every other day. Cool, so thanks to all my reviewers, and please keep on reviewing!  
**

Chapter 7

No POV

Ryan sat down on the edge of Cody's bed and listened to him.

"Ryan, how did you get this?" Cody's blue eyes were curious, capturing a flash of lightening from the window.

"It's a long story, but Alan in the end blackmailed me into sneaking it out when Rumiku was out with Max. He was pretty mad when he read that page. You'll have some competition in getting her to the dance." Ryan smiled.

"Well, thanks. Sorry I yelled at you, but it's just not that easy to see the girl you love kissing someone else." Cody clamped a hand over his mouth. Ryan quickly glanced at him, "Did you just say . . . _love_?"

'Yeah. Well, now you know. It's not just a crush anymore. I guess you're the _only one_ that knows too." Cody's face flushed, and he handed the book back to Ryan. "Do you want to see if Alan's okay? I'll be fine now." Ryan nodded, his eyes shining. This was what he liked about Cody, he never made Ryan feel like he had to choose between him and Alan, so their friendship was so flexible. Ryan smiled, "See ya later. I guess we'll all have a sleep over in one suite since we're stuck here over night."

"Yeah, See ya."

* * *

"When is the damn phone line gonna be fixed?" Ryan groaned in frustration. "Or is Rikku just notpicking up on purpose?" He muttered wistfully.

"What?" Tapeworm asked as he and Ryan collided in the hall. Tape rubbed his elbow.

"Huh? What do you mean 'what'?" Ryan looked up at his friend.

Tape gave him a strange look, "I mean, what were you saying to yourself?"

Ryan replied slowly, "Nothing. What are you doin' up here?"

Tapeworm answered. "I'm worried about Max and Zack. They still aren't back. But it's Max I'm especially nervous about." He took one glance at Ryan's expression, "No, not nervous because I like her! She's just my best friend!" He snapped. But Ryan couldn't help but notice the pink creeping up his cheeks. Tape continued. "I mean after what happened, Max isn't too good with storms."

"Huh? What happened?" Now Ryan was worried.

"She didn't tell you guys? Her twin brother was struck by lightening last year!"

"She has a twin brother!?" To Ryan, now was a time to panic. Where had he been for the last year?

"Kidding! Don't freak out like that!" Tape grinned as Ryan sighed in relief. "Max was struck by lightening last year and has been pretty jumpy ever since, whenever there's a big storm. I guess she only told me and Zack." The two stood up, and rode the elevator down to the lobby. Ryan walked over to Alan, who was moping on the couch. He was propped up on his elbows, holding his chin in his hands.

"Hey, dude. Are you okay?" Ryan asked.

Alan grumbled, "Yeah, I guess so. I don't understand Rumiku. Hell, I don't get girls at all! Her diary said she liked me, but she hits me when I kiss her. Then she said something about Cody never speaking to her again. I don't see how that would be such a problem."

"Hey, remember the whole 'friends with both of you' thing? I can't take sides, I just can't. You and Rumi are such good friends, it'll be alright. It might not work out exactly how you want it to, but things can't get worse, right?" A flash of lightening seemed to disagree.

Ryan sighed. He silently thought to himself. _Things can't get worse . . . Can they? . . . _


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry about the wait! I was on Spring Break!**

Chapter 8

Zack's POV

The movie ended, finally, and Max and I were leaving the theater. We stopped in the lobby to call Carey and tell her that Max and Tape could sleepover, and a strange computerized voice replied, "We're very sorry but the phone line you are trying to reach is temporarily out of order. There may be either a problem with the phone line or the recipient of your call may have changed their phone number. Please try again later." Max looked at me, confusion and worry briefly crossing her face. I smiled, "Let's go, I'm sure it's just the phone line." I opened the front door as a clap of thunder and flash of lightening greeted me. I closed it quickly "Ah!" Max snickered, and walked outside. I jogged to catch up, instantly soaked up to my ankles in the water. "It's getting kinda . . . deep." I murmured, pulling the hood of my jacket over my head in the almost blinding rain. After a few minutes, I could have sworn the water was almost up to my calves. Max looked over at me, a teasing glint in her eyes. "You're not scared of a little water are you?"

"No!" Was my instant reply. "Okay then," She grinned and splashed me, covering my tan shorts in the deepening water. "Hey!" I cried, chasing after her. We made it to the Tipton a moment later, as the water reached my knees. The Tipton was on a foundation raised a few feet in the air, so there was no chance of flooding. We hurried into the lobby to see the entire gang, minus Cody, sitting on the couches looking worried.

Rikku looked over at Max and I, jealousy briefly crossing her red eyes. "You're back!" She jumped up and filled us in on the cut phone wires, the empty van in the parking lot, the Cody and Alan thing, and the fact that Carey had left to go see our aunt a few hours earlier. All the guests were in their rooms, watching the growing storm, or sleeping already due to the early darkness. It was only 8:00 pm, and they gang had decided at midnight they would go up to the my suite for the sleepover. The Hiroshima's had extra sleeping bags in their own suite as well. I looked nervously around. "Has anyone seen this weird guy?"

Everyone shook their heads, sharing the same worried thoughts. Mr. Moseby hurried into the lobby at that instant, bearing bad news. "A guest spotted a strange figure in the halls of he twenty second floor. He was muttering something about, 'Martin and Hiroshima! I'll get you both!' I'm afraid we might have to go into a lock down if we can't get through to the police. The local tower is down, so our cell phones have no effect, and the water is getting to high for anyone to get through." Everyone exchanged terrified glances, the strange man's words ringing in their ears. Everyone was in danger, except Nicki, Ryan, Alan, Tape, and Max.

"Hm. On the twenty second floor." Alan murmured.

No one though, look as scared as I did. "Where's Cody?" I whispered. Rikku turned immediately to me, Tape, Alan, and Ryan following. "What?" They all asked in unison. "Where's Cody?" I asked again through clenched teeth. Everyone gave me a weird look, "What?" They asked again.

"I SAID, WHERE'S CODY?" I yelled, all my exhaustion and worry pouring out. Only Rikku gave me a sympathetic look,which was strange. Not even Max seemed to feel my pain, until their faces began to soften in realization. Everyone's voices blended into one murmur. "On the twenty third floor."

A/N: I know it's short, but the next chapter will be up soon!  



	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks for waiting for this chapter, and the last chapter even though it was short! This chapter is centered around the ZackXMaxXTapeworm love triangle, and rescuing Cody.  
**

* * *

Chapter 9

Zack's heart pounded and he actually forgot about Max for the first time that day. His best friend, his twin, his brother, was in danger and he couldn't care less when Tape and Max slipped away. Rumiku stepped forward into the middle of the nervous group, "We need a plan. Rikk, Zack, Alan, Ryan and I will go up to the suite while Nicki, Tape, and Max guard all of the stairways. Wait, where are Tapeworm and Max?" With a sigh, Rumiku continued.

"Oh well. Noah and Pat can help Nicki instead. Julius, can you and Syd go up to our suite, and stay there?" She turned around to see her younger brothers and Julius staring out into the rain. Water was seeping into the hotel and the boys were stopping it with blankets. Sydney, Noah, and Patrick looked cold, and Rikku put her hands on their shoulders. "What's wrong guys?"

They shivered and Noah replied, speaking for the first time that night, "I-I d-don't know. I think it's s-some kind of f-fever m-maybe."

Patrick and Sydney nodded. A second later, Sydney collapsed to the ground. "Sydney!" Julius cried, feeling the boy's forehead. "He's unconscious. And burning up."

"We have to go!" Zack cried, helping Julius pick Sydney up. They wrapped him in a blanket and Julius held him gently. Zack looked at the floor as if he couldn't bear to continue. And he couldn't. "Cody could be . . ."

He never finished his sentence, or needed to. The others nodded gravely and ran for the stairs. At the door to the twenty third floor, Zack hesitated. "Alright. Let's find my little brother."

"He's only younger by a few minutes," Nicki piped. Zack shot her a dirty glare. She looked down, "Okay . . . Noah and Patrick and I will make sure no one gets up or down from this level." Zack nodded.

Rikku, Rumiku, and Ryan checked the hallways one last time before motioning quietly for the others to listen. Quieting, the group could hear a faint but familiar cry from the other side of the building. Zack's eyes widened, blazing with icy blue rage and despair. "HE'S GOTTEN TO CODY!" He yelled, attempting to bolt down the corridor. Rikku and Ryan grabbed him. "You can't just charge into the suite! The guy could be . . ." Rikku's expression softened."Never mind. Let's just sneak in and maybe we can get away with anyone getting hurt. Including this guy."

Zack let the first smile cross his face since he'd gotten back from the movie with Max. "Yeah. Wait, where's Max?" He glanced around in time to see Tape and Max slip back into the group. Holding hands. There was a soft cheer from their friends. Everyone had expected this for a while. Everyone except Zack.

"Finally!" Rikku cried sarcastically. "How long did it take you to figure out that you liked each other?"

The two blushed, while Zack's eyes widened in hurt. His face became unrecognizable, and he spoke softly and expressionlessly. "I'm going to find my brother." Max looked over at him, and quickly turned away in discomfort. "Okay. We're all coming."

Julius, carrying Sydney, Zack, Rikku, Rumiku, Alan, and Ryan hurried down numerous hallways, and Patrick, Noah, Max, Tape, and Nicki guarded the three sets of stairs. They stopped at the Hiroshima's suite across from the Martin's. Julius hurried inside with Sydney who was beginning to stir. The door locked with a soft click, and Zack took a deep breath.

"Ready?" He motioned to his friends. Before he even tried the handle, he knew the door was locked and maybe barricaded. Placing both hands flat against the door, he closed his eyes. The painted metal door began to glow red under his flaming hands. Rikku joined him, and seconds later, the door melted away and the teenagers sunk into fighting stances.

* * *

_**Cody's P.O.V.**_

I tried to move and struggle under the man's firm grasp, but to no avail. He had me pinned up against a wall, with a dagger gleaming his hand. "W-what do y-you w-want with me?" I choked out, stuttering half from fright and half from the fact that he was nearly choking me.

The man's face twisted into an ugly scowl, "Like you don't already know! This is my destiny! It is my destiny to kill the last remaining MARTINS AND HIROSHIMAS!" His voice grew louder and raspier with every word until he was yelling. His breath was foul on my face, but to my surprise it did not smell of alcohol.

At that moment, I felt the heat of the room rise tenfold, and Rikku and Zack leapt through the smoldering hole in the door, flames dancing at their fingertips. "LET HIM GO!" Zack yelled, the flames shooting up his and Rikku's arms, but not burning them.

The man just smirked and turned around to face them. I took the chance to land a powerful kick right in his lower back. He hit the ground with a satisfying thud. I ran over to my friends, ready to fight. The man stood and his gaze landed on Ryan and Alan. Pure hate and fury raged in his eyes. They were dark crimson red, nothing like Rikku's own red eyes.

"Alan Brown and Ryan Cooper," There was a taunting glint in his eyes, and Rikku had to hold Ryan's shoulder to keep him from launching forward in fury. "You're not a Hiroshima or a Martin. Even though I'm much more powerful than them, that makes you even weaker. Worthless. Dirt. Nothing in my eyes."

"Well, we don't care what we are in your eyes! In ours, you're shit!" Rumiku shot back. The man turned to her, and in one swift motion he had leapt forward and knocked Alan and Rumiku into the wall. Alan was knocked unconscious, but Rumiku fought the darkness that was threatening to grasp her mind. The man dragged them to the other side of the room, despite multiple kicks and punches from their friends, and pulled out a black pistol. "If you take one more step, you can say goodbye to your friend's miserable little lives . . ."

**A/N #2: Sorry, for the cliffie, but I promise I'll update in a few days or sooner this time! I got stuck and didn't know where I wanted to take this chapter, but now I have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do with the story now. Again, sorry for the wait!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey, I finally ****have 10 chapters up! I'm happy with the way the last chapter turned out, so I hope this one is just good. Thanks to all the people who reviewed Chapter 9, R&R again! (Okay, I finally have a pretty long chapter this time!)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zack and Cody, and the Hiroshima's belong to DarkElements10/BlackElements. **(Okay, I'm wasn't even gonna say it, but do you even think anyone on FanFiction owns TSL!?)

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 10**

Regular POV

Cody's eyes widened, filled with fear that wasn't even for himself now. The pistol in the man's hand gleamed as the moon shone through the dark clouds for an instant, filling the room in an eerie silver glow. Rikku's eyes blazed and this time Ryan had to hold her back. After a tense moment, the teenagers slumped in defeat. Rikku spoke without looking up, in a voice that wasn't anything like hers, "What do you want us to do?"

Only Rumiku noticed Alan regain consciousness beside her.

The man's piercing glare turned into the slightest, triumphant smile. "Oh, that's easy. You all have elements, mastered and extremely powerful. So with a little help from this," He produced a fist-sized glassy black rock, "I can harness all of your elements for myself."

Mistrusting, disbelieving glances were exchanged before Cody spoke for the group. "Alright. We'll do as you say . . . but only if you release _both_ of our friends first."

Their captor scoffed and gave Cody a dirty look. "I'm not by any means stupid, you little bastard."

Cody only met his gaze with a courageous defiant gaze of his own. He was surprised by his own strength, until his thoughts drifted back to Rumiku. A plan formed slowly in his mind, "We're not stupid either. None of our elements can match the speed and strength of a bullet, we have no choice but to do as you say." He hung his head with convincing shame and defeat.

This seemed to satisfy the man, and he relaxed a bit, lowering the pistol slightly. "Fine. I'll release both of your friends. After _you_ go first" He gave Cody the finger, but the blond haired teenager was unfazed. He weighed his options silently, deciding that first, Rumiku's safety meant the absolute most to him even if he lost his element. Second, this guy had to be out of his mind, and the rock was probably just a chunk of obsidian or something. "Alright," His confident smirk earned him a swift punch in the gut from the man. He'd luckily anticipated such a reaction and managed not to get the wind knocked out of him.

"Sorry, _sir_," Cody muttered in a somewhat mocking tone. Zack could have slapped his forehead. Was Cody trying to piss this guy off?

"Watch it. And the name's Bronze," His name may have resembled his gold-brown hair, but it was so dirty and long that it was impossible to tell. "You there, Cody, ya little brat! Tell me what you see in this stone." Cody approached cautiously, peering into the glassy interior of the rock.

What he saw brought back pain, everything he couldn't bear to face.

* * *

_Inside The Hellstone _

_Cody's POV _

_Faces swam across the surface of the rock, gripping me in the pain I thought I'd finally pushed away. I didn't understand any of this, the way I couldn't name these faces if I tried, but each one was like a living nightmare where I lost yet another loved one. Like little tiny pinpricks into Hell, but each scathing and horrifying. I tried to tear my eyes away, but I couldn't. I was frozen._

_I could feel everything happening, Bronze's eyes searching my expressionless stare, Alan stirring and shooting me a glare for not doing anything to help them, Zack's fists tightening in his anxiety for me, Ru, and Alan, and finally Rikku planning to launch her self and a flamethrower at an unsuspecting Bronze. No! I had to escape this nightmare and keep her from acting too quickly. She couldn't see Bronze's tight grip on the pistol's handle._

_Struggling to pull away, I was caught in a memory I thought I'd finally forgotten for good:_

_(Begin dream) _

_Flames danced around me as I stood, caught in a wildfire. Zack was yelling desperately to me, but I was blinded in terror. Being an eight year old, the first thing I tried to do was run away. Unsuccessfully, I was whipped with a few bursts of flames. The scar still remained on my left leg. I began to cry, thinking this must be Hell. Zack, who had always had a thing for fire, manged to almost reach me unharmed. He stood a few yards away, reaching out an arm to me. Just as my fingers were about to close around his hand fire shot up around him. He disappeared from my sight, the heat so unbearable I stumbled backwards. The last thing I heard was a scream of agony, and a feeling like I just been ripped in half._

_Feeling agonized, I thrust my hands out in front of me. The water in the almost dry riverbed had whipped the flames around me and put them out in time for me to be rescued by Phantom, my new guardian. I had just discovered my element apparently._

_That was the last thing I remembered before waking up in the hospital with Zack and Mom watching me worriedly. Mom told me I'd had a high fever and been burning up so she brought me here, but I'd been unconscious for days. I had been having a nightmare, apparently. I told Zack about my "dream" and he assured me nothing like that had happened. _

_(End dream)_

_I never could shake the feeling that he was lying, although Mom was truthfully clueless. Just reminding myself of the feeling of losing my twin was enough to make me shudder uncontrollably. It was years before I could forget the feeling and my mysterious "dream." But now it was like reliving it again._

_I saw Zack vanish in the flames for the second time in my life. I couldn't take the feeling that this time, I really was losing Zack, the agonizing feeling of having your heart ripped out of your chest and torn apart. From the world around me I heard Rikku step back in preparation to attack Bronze. With out thinking, I turned back to Zack. Instead of putting out the fire around me, I channeled all the water in the creek to the fire around Zack. With smoke and steam all around me, I stumbled over to him coughing. Tears from the smoke filled his eyes as he looked up at me from the charred forest floor. He smiled and whispered, "You did it. You saved me, and now the nightmare is over . . ."_

_(End of Visions) _

* * *

Regular POV 

Cody stood in front of the strange black stone, his eyes clouded as they stared into something only he could see. Zack's heart lurched without warning and he fell to the ground, in an agonizing pain. After a moment, a wave of strength flooded through him, and he looked up to see Cody blinking back to reality.

A voice echoed through Zack's mind, as their twin telepathy thing began to work for once, "_And now the nightmare is over . . ."_

Cody stood firmly in front of Rikku, whispering something to her. She nodded reluctantly. "NO WHISPERING!" The man yelled. "What did you see in this little rock?" Cody met his gaze again.

"I saw blackness. Just blackness, like the surface of the rock. There was nothing else." Bronze let out an exasperated hiss.

"It was supposed to work! Damn thing!" He threw it to the ground, where it shattered. A black mist rose briefly from it, then vanished. "Now that I have nothing better to do with you, I might as well kill you now . . ." He pulled the gun out again. "Starting with you two!" He pivoted to aim at Rumiku.

"NO!" Cody and Alan both yelled, but Alan couldn't manage to get up, still dizzy from being knocked out. Cody watched Bronze cock his gun and took a deep breath.

There was an explosion as he pulled the trigger, and Zack screamed as Cody dove at Rumiku. When the thin smoke cleared, the teenagers gasped to see Rumiku and Cody safe on the ground.

Bronze screamed in fury and pure hatred. "Alright, it's your turn then!" He aimed at a helpless Alan on the ground.

He could only duck as a first bullet dug a hole in the wall where his forehead had been less than a second before. Leaning to the side, he narrowly missed another, which grazed the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Bronze kicked him in the side of the head, and he snapped back into the wall.

"Just like target practice," Bronze muttered to himself, walking back to the center of the room to aim again.

* * *

Cody's POV 

I watched in horror as Bronze kicked Alan in the side of his head. A kick like that would have thrown anyone but Alan unconscious again. I saw his eyelids flutter, barely staying open as he collapsed into the wall. I made a decision I hoped I wouldn't regret, if I lived to have the chance to. Moving from Rumiku's side, I crouched down.

Bronze cocked his gun for the fourth time. He was smiling as he silently aimed. Time seemed to have deserted me, as I saw him pull back the trigger, and I threw myself in front of Alan, who squeezed his eyes shut.

I didn't remember much of what happened next, except hearing Rikku yell something and unleash her fury and pain in an ultimate flaming elemental attack on Bronze, Ryan crying out in despair, Zack screaming in agony, and listening to Rumiku whisper, "No . . . Cody . . . "

Then an unbelievable pain hit my shoulder, and every thing went black. Blacker than the starless night outside, blacker than the smoke billowing from Bronze's pistol laying on the ground, and blacker the shattered Hellstone.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: The chapter you've all been waiting for . . . (At least I hope you have: ) The italics are Cody's thoughts during the chapter.  
**

* * *

Chapter 11

Cody's POV

_Two weeks after the 'accident' . . . _

"I still can't do this!" I cried for the umpteenth time, backing away from the door in my wheelchair. The bullet had cause me to lose a lot of blood so the doctors wanted to make sure I didn't get dizzy or faint for a while, hence the wheelchair.

Zack rolled his eyes and ran an impatient hand through the dark blond bangs that were always in his face. "_And I still don't see why you are so damn nervous!" _He grinned at me, despite the fact that I could sense his patience was thinning.

"Okay, dude. It's as simple as this: You save a girl's life. She happens to be the one you _love_. You get shot saving her best friend whom you don't know if she likes considering he just kissed her! OF COURSE I'M PRETTY DAMN NERVOUS!" Our 'vocabulary' usually got Mom angry, but today she was trying to be patient. I'd been in the hospital for two weeks, and today I was getting out. Rumiku hadn't visited me at all, unlike the rest of my friends.

_'She's the only one who hasn't come to see me. I don't even know what to think anymore.'_

Some of the popular girls had even stopped by and gushed over me, while I just ignored them. They weren't and never could be Ru. Even Alan had stopped by and thanked me. Sincerely. He'd had to leave early for something while Ryan and Rikku stayed with me, but while he was there we'd gotten along surprisingly well. Like Ryan, I'd never realized how much we had in common.

When Alan left the hospital, he told me he liked Rumiku, but seeing the way I loved her, he'd come to a hard decision. If I'd agree to, he'd let Rumiku choose between us. After she picked, there was no turning back. If she picked me, he promised he'd let go and we could be friends.

I vowed the same to him, even though just 'letting go' of Ru would be the hardest thing I'd ever faced, even harder than my decision to save Alan.

_'It seems like I can't win without losing.'_

I remembered his exact words.

* * *

_Flashback_

_"Cody, can I talk to you? Alone?" I looked up to see my new 'friend,' Alan ask me, the importance of the question showing in his deep brown eyes. I guess I could call him a friend, considering the the tension between us had . . . vanished. I remembered vaguely how it had hung in the air, like the calm before a storm, whenever we were together. I nodded and wheeled my wheelchair into the hallway._

_His brown eyes were clouded, betraying nothing from his expressionless features. Finally, he gave me a soft smile. "I . . . I wanted to talk to you about the 'accident' and about . . ." He hesitated before continuing with a deep breath, "About Rumiku."_

_My breath caught in my throat. We hadn't discussed either yet, almost deliberately avoiding the awkward subjects. "Alright," I looked up at him from my wheelchair._

_"First, I wanted to thank you. I mean, _really_ thank you. I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't been there. You . . . you really saved my life even if you won't admit it, Cody."_

_I just grinned, breaking the solemn moment. "No problem, Alan."  
_

_"You know that I like her, and I know that you do as well. We have so much in common, but it's always caused too much tension for us to be friends. I- I-" He sighed, "This is harder than I thought. After seeing the way you love her, I decided something. If you agree to too, I'm going to let Ru choose between us by herself, no persuading. Once she chooses, I guess there's no going back. If she chooses you, I promise I'll let go and we can be friends."_

_I smiled up at him and nodded. "I promise the same to you then. Either way, at least we can be friends now. So, I'll see you later?"_

_Alan grinned, finally happy with the way things were working out. "Well, I have to go now, so yeah. I'll see ya later Cody."_

_He turned and walked to the door. I found my shining blue eyes watching the the door long after he had left, before I just smiled and wheeled back into the room . . ._

* * *

Zack stared at me, snapping his fingers in front of my face. "Cody!" 

"Wha?" I looked up to see him giving me a look.

"You were staring off and didn't listen to me. I tried to get your attention, but you wouldn't move. Do you need your painkillers?" He looked worried, so I smiled to reassure him.

"No, I'm fine. I was just . . . thinking about something." There was a loud rap at the door and I could hear Rikku's voice. "WE'RE HERE!" She yelled.

Zack turned back to me, "Want me to get the door?"

I shook my head and smiled softly to myself. "No, actually. I think I'll be fine now."

_'Ru's coming. Rikku told me yesterday. But will things ever be the same?'_

Zack pushed me to the door and I opened it quickly. "Hey!" I grinned up at Rikku, before wheeling back into the room so everyone else could get in. I decided to use my crutches and stood up with the extra support.

I watched as Max, Tapeworm, Ryan, and Alan filed into the room before grinning. "S'up?"

I greeted all of them with a "Hey." Confusion clouded my eyes, and I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jeans. Sitting on my hospital bed, I asked, "Where is everyone else?"

To answer my question, Sydney came running into the room and flung himself onto my bed. "CODY!" He yelled and began jumping on the bed. Patrick and Noah followed, equally excited to see me. I felt a small smile spread across my lips, that formed a full grin as Rumiku walked in behind them. "Hey," She said softly, the smallest hint of a smile on her face. Her purple eyes danced at seeing me again though.

_'I'll never understand Ru. I guess I was never meant to.'_

I noticed Rumiku was carrying a small black puppy. "Sydney, did you forget him?"

Sydney's eyes lit up as he remembered something, "Oh!" He jumped up and grabbed the dog before setting it on my lap.

He explained, as I ruffled his blue hair and held the squirming puppy. "I got him for you, since you get to come home now!" I glanced over at Mom, "Can we keep him?" I gave her my best pout.

"Fine!" She laughed. "But I'm not cleaning up after him!"

_'It can't be any worse than cleaning up after Zack!'_

Julius came in at that moment, pushing a cart with pizza and cake on it. "Ready to go home?" He asked me.

I didn't have to think about my answer. The hospital had been boring and stuffy, "YES!"

We all walked out side and the nurse told me I could leave the wheelchair and crutches there. Hesitating, I left them with the nurse and motioned for Alan and Rumiku to come over. Rumiku still hadn't said anything else to me.

_'It's like Rumiku's finally back in my life, but it's not the same. It never will be now, I guess.'_

"Yeah?" Rumiku asked me, her voice still soft as she watched Alan and I awkwardly. I realized she must not know about us getting along, so Alan told her that we'd reached an agreement. As he finished telling her about our deal, Rumiku's purple eyes clouded and she looked at the ground.

"I- I don't want to choose. I don't want to lose either of you as friends. _I don't want things to be awkward between us!_" Her raised voice was strained as though she was in pain.

"It's okay Ru." I whispered. She didn't look up at me.

_'Doesn't she know this is hurting me too?'_

Alan didn't dare to even look at her. I guessed they hadn't spent much time together since the accident. I realized I didn't know what had happened after I'd passed out. I figured I'd ask Zack later. I had no idea of how I would learn the rest of the story.

"Ru, please. If you choose, I promise we'll all still be friends. Even stronger friends because of it. Cody and I won't fight and things will be the same." Alan pleaded with her, but Rumiku remained silent.

_'That's where he's wrong. Things will never be the same. I can only hope they're changing for the better. . .'_

Rumiku looked up at us finally. "Is that a promise you can keep? How do you know that?" It was Alan's turn to be silent. I was shocked as I could sense a flash of pain inside him a he made a decision. Then the pain was gone, replaced by something else. Was it_ . . . happiness?_

Alan looked back up at Rumiku and smiled, "Because sometimes a _best_ friend just knows."

This time I felt no confusion, just waited for Rumiku to speak. And she did, "So . . . that's it then?"

"Ru, don't you understand?" To our surprise Alan was smiling. He went on to explain what this was all about. "When . . . when Cody was shot, I was conscious enough to see what happened next. I saw Rikku attack Bronze and him dive for the pistol. I watched you knock it out of his reach and begin to glow a weird purple light. You weren't yourself anymore RuYou were in so much pain and rage that you subconsciously found the only way to unleash it. The light hit Bronze and he screamed then . . . he was gone. It was then that I realized that you _love_ Cody. Rumiku, you will_ always _be my best friend, but Cody loves you back. When I have a new great friend I never found before, no one is fighting anymore, and most importantly, you're happy, what else do I want? Cody, Rumiku, things are changing and I think they're finally changing for the better."

It was then that Rumiku smiled and I could tell Alan's words had reached her too. He hugged her and she hugged him back tightly. Then Rumiku turned back to me.

Feeling like all the pieces had finally fallen into place, I leaned forward and pressed my lips against Rumiku's. This time the only thought on my mind was, "_Finally _. . ._"_


	13. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry about the incredibly long wait! (Moving takes forever!) Here's Chapter 12, hope you still enjoy the story!**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I know you're going to be shocked; I_ still_ don't own The Suite Life! The Hiroshima's and Ryan and Alan belong to DarkElements10/BlackElements.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Zack's POV

Max and I walked slowly down the halls of the Tipton's 23rd Floor. Cody and everyone else were celebrating back at our suite, but Max wanted to talk to me, since she knew I was mad at her. So far there hadn't been much talking.

Finally, she blurted out, "Why are you so mad at me!?"

I shoved my hands in my pockets and stared at the ground before glaring at her. "I wonder . . . Let's see. You kissed me, I asked you out, we went on a date, then you got mad at me and I still liked you, then we went on another date, then you and Tape magically show up holding hands." I hissed in frustration.

Max looked like she wanted to explode, "Zack! That wasn't a date when we went to the movie and to dinner! And you told me you were fine with us just being friends! You can't act like I'm not allowed to like someone else just because I used to have a crush on you! Now you know how I felt about you liking Rikku!" She stopped abruptly.

I slowly turned to look at her. "How did you know about that?" I growled.

"Um . . . Cody kinda told me . . ." Max looked apologetic. "Why did you ever stop liking her?" Now she was just curious.

"I . . . didn't I guess. I just liked you more. You're off topic anyway!" I changed the subject back to our 'apparently-not-date' a few weeks ago. "You sure acted like it was a date!"

"No, I didn't. I was thinking about Tape that night anyway. I felt bad about the basketball game and stuff, so I wanted to make up for it." I gritted my teeth when she replied. She had an answer for everything, and it was making me see how blind I'd been.

"Whatever!" I shot back, feeling like an idiot. "This is your fault."

"What!? This is because you're always such a hard headed idio-" She paused, softening her voice. We'd reached the end of the hallway and turned the corner into the lounge "Look Zack, when are you just going to give Rikku a chance? Y'know she's a great friend." On these last words, she turned to follow my incredulous gaze, hers disbelievingly taking the scene of Ryan kissing Rikku and hugging her tightly.

"That's why," I whispered, turning and bolting away.

"Zack!" Rikku called after me, slamming her fist against the wall in frustration. "Forget it," Max gave Rikku an apologetic half-smile. "I'll go." She turned and ran after me to no avail.

I was already gone, down the stairs to the lobby, and then outside into the storm that was raging like my spinning head and tired heart.


	14. Chapter 13

**A/N: And Chapter 13 is up!**

**Chapter 13**

Cody's POV

_Later that night . . ._

I held my breath, stepping over a pile of magazines, then nearly tripping over a basketball. Finally, I reached the window and pulled back the curtains slightly so I could at least see some in the moonlight. Zack still did not stir in his bed to my left. Letting out my breath in a slight sigh, I then made my way over to the desk beside Zack and tried to open the drawer. My suspicions proved true, and he had locked it before going to sleep.

That would not be a problem for me. I reached into the pencil container until my fingers closed around a smooth black key. Unlocking the drawer, I sat down to study what I found. I pulled out a red and black notebook and Zack's matching guitar pick. There were scattered photos of Zack and Rikku and of Max and Rikku as well, but I had seen them before. I flipped through the notebook, reading a few journal entries.

_September 20, 2006._

_Rikku and I went to the park to play with her little brothers today. Noah and Patrick played football and Sydney played on the jungle gym so Rikku and I just watched them and talked. We talked about our lives and families, and just about everything inbetween. I asked her if she liked any guys lately, just joking, and she wouldn't say. Well, you know how I feel about her, but I guess I'll never know how she feels about me. _

_I can't help but have this strange feeling that Ryan has something to do with it. I never disliked him, but whenever he was nice to me, I couldn't help saying something rude to him. I guess I suspected that he likes her all along. _

_Cody's already woken up twice and told me to turn the lamp off. I guess I'd better go for the night. He complains about not getting enough sleep because of me, so I don't know when I'll write again. And . . . well, I guess that's it. _

_- Zack - _

A few pages after, I found the next entry. As I had guessed, about Max.

_September 23, 2006_

_Max came over this morning, to return a library book on surfing to me. We ended up hanging out all day. We played video games and then hung out at the park. I remembered what happened at basketball game, and deliberately didn't bring it up. She caught me lost in thought about Rikku -again- and I figured it couldn't hurt to ask her the same question I asked Rikk. _

_She looked at me and blushed, then muttered that there was this one guy I apparently 'wouldn't know,' but everyone does know that Max can't tell a lie. That's a sure-fire answer that she like me! I asked her his name and she got mad and said it was like I was interrogating her, so I dropped the subject. I did hear from Rumiku talking to Cody that this 'guy I don't know' is someone in our group of friends. I wonder who that could be . . . (Sarcastically) _

I rolled my eyes at those last few sentences. I felt terrible for Zack, but part of me -the insenitive but logical part- said that it was Zack's fault for being so full of himself sometimes. Of course the other part of me said that all the signs _had _been most likely leading to Zack, but Tapeworm had been Max's crush all along.

I flipped through the notebook, finding nothing of particular interest, until I got to a few blank pages. Zack appeared to have been trying to trick anyone else reading the journal into thinking he had stopped writing there, but I continued on for about six pages and found a song written in freshly drying black ink. He had been in the journal that night, most likely less than an hour ago.

_You've taken everything I ever had, _

_Twisted everything I ever knew,_

_But do my broken heart and tearstained eyes,_

_Even mean anything to you?_

_I thought I was ready for one last stand,_

_O-o-o-oh, one last fight._

_How could I have known,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Now I'm lying here without,_

_The strength to wonder why._

_How could I have figured out,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_But there's no time to wonder how,_

_My eyes begin to close._

_Without the strength to wonder now._

_Forgetting everything I'll know . . ._

_Oh, I thought I was ready for one last stand,_

_O-o-o-oh, one last fight._

_How could I have known,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Yeah, now I'm lying here without,_

_The strength to wonder why._

_How could I have figured out,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Did you ever know . . . _

_That you'd break all the rules tonight?_

I closed the journal quietly and stepped carefully back over to my bed, after relocking the drawer. I'd forgotten to replace the key, but that wouldn't matter. I hadn't noticed Zack silently watching me read his journal, and as I closed my eyes feeling genuinely awed, he managed to quietly give me a half-hearted, broken smile, and roll over to try and catch a few hours of remaining sleep before we had to face another day of school -my first day being back.

**A/N: Zack's song was written by . . . well, me, any comments are more than welcome!**


	15. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry again for the wait! I had a family emergency that I was gone for, for about a week. Luckily, everything has turned out okay. Anyways, thanks to DarkElements10 for reviewing! Read and Review!**

**Chapter 14**

Rumiku's POV

_One day later . . . _

I sighed, finding Rikku asleep on the couch that she hid her 'song' notebook under. I knew she used it as a journal. I would have to be careful if I wanted to get it out.

I held my hands up and they began to glow a dark purple. Aiming them at Rikku, she began to levitate as I quickly took the cushion off of the couch, grabbed her journal, and replaced it.

Once she was back on the couch and I was sure she was sleeping soundly, I hurried out into the Tipton lounge and met Cody and Alan. We had decided on the twentieth floor's lounge because if Zack, Ryan, or Rikku happened to wake up, they'd take the elevator straight to the lobby to go to the arcade or the candy counter.

"Hey," Cody smiled when he saw me. I grinned back at him and Alan.

"I take it you found the 'song' notebook?" Alan laughed.

"Yeah, and Rikku's still asleep which is even bigger of an accomplishment!" I pulled the notebook out of my black sweatshirt and the key out of a pocket in my jeans.

Cody had taken Zack's notebook again that night, after he was sure he could return it by the morning.

The lounge's grandfather clock sounded off its midnight chime, and then the room was silent as Alan picked up Ryan's small black notebook from the coffee table in front of us. "We've gotta figure out how to fix this. Things were so much easier before the accident." I knew he and Cody now spoke freely of that night and I nodded. He continued. "Since then, the tensions have been high and everyone's been fighting. I'm hoping these will help us fix this mess. That's why I asked you to get their journals."

I replied, "I've never gotten a chance to look in Rikku's. Let's read the one we have now, then rotate so everyone get's a chance to see each one."

"Alright," Alan agreed.

I bent over and opened the red and orange book to its most recent page, written last night.

_-Rikku Hiroshima_

_Nothing is going right as of now. Zack hates me, I'm pretty sure Ryan does too since I won't talk to him since he kissed me, and I'm too confused to even __think_

_I thought I like Ryan, then I liked Zack and Ryan, and now I don't know what to think at all. I just can't believe Ryan would kiss me right in front of Zack. He was the one facing the hallway where Zack and Max came in. He was the only one who knew I liked Zack and that I really cared about Ryan for us just being friends, besides Rumiku. He was my best friend. And then he AND Zack go and act like jerks, and I'm the one who suffers for it._

_And worst of all, I heard Max saying something to Zack about, "When are you just going to give Rikku a chance?" That was before they saw us. _

_Right now, I can't believe I ever liked either Ryan or Zack!_

_Damn it. I hear someone waking up. I better go. This is the last thing I want anyone to read! My last thought: Why did I have to go and talk to Ryan. If I had picked to talk to Rumiku or Patrick, or even Syd, none of this would have happened. So I guess, it's all my fault. Wow, that makes me feel a whole lot better._

Beside me, Alan opened up the black book to its most recent page, where he found a short entry:

_From the Desk of Ryan Cooper:_

_Will all this shit ever end? Rikku hates me, no one will talk to me, Zack won't talk to anyone, and everything is in chaos, and: It's. All. My. Fault. _

_I think Nicki is the only one who still likes me. She's really nice, except I've tried to talk to her and she's really quiet. _

_If only I'd kept my mouth shut and not asked Rikk what was wrong. She trusted me enough to tell me that she liked Zack and that she cared about me a lot, maybe more than as a friend. Is there some reason I never told he that I liked her?_

_Just another reason to wonder what could have happened if I hadn't messed everything up. _

_-Ryan-_

And on my other side, Cody spoke for the first time since I'd come into the room. "Guys, I want to show you this song. Zack wrote it. I found the guitar and music sheets in his desk drawer, so I think I know how it's supposed to go."

Alan and I nodded, and turned our attention to Cody, who took a deep breath, and let it out in a small sigh before continuing.

"_You've taken everything I ever had, _

_Twisted everything I ever knew,_

_But do my broken heart and tearstained eyes,_

_Even mean anything to you?_

_I thought I was ready for one last stand,_

_O-o-o-oh, one last fight._

_How could I have known,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Now I'm lying here without,_

_The strength to wonder why._

_How could I have figured out,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_But there's no time to wonder how,_

_My eyes begin to close._

_Without the strength to wonder now._

_Forgetting everything I'll know . . ._

_Oh, I thought I was ready for one last stand,_

_O-o-o-oh, one last fight._

_How could I have known,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Yeah, now I'm lying here without,_

_The strength to wonder why._

_How could I have figured out,_

_That you would break all the rules tonight?_

_Did you ever know . . . _

_That you'd break all the rules tonight? . . . " _

Cody looked up at us, biting his lip slightly, deep in thought. I smiled softly, "Zack wrote that? Our Zack Martin actually wrote that song?"

Cody nodded, and Alan's brown eyes bore the same look of astonishment. "Wow," Was all he could say.

"This is his newest journal entry, too. I'm still in shock, but you need to hear this," Cody began to read aloud from the notebook that still hadn't ceased to surprise us.

"I haven't been able to talk to anyone since . . . well, then. I still can't believe the way things unfolded that night. I guess I was so caught up in liking Max, that I was blind to the way she felt about Tape, and apparently the way Rikku never felt about me. Now that things have already happened, it's weird I know, but I think I'll miss Rikku more. At least I might have had a chance with her if I hadn't been such an idiot. I'll miss the Max I knew on our 'date,' but after the way I messed everything up with just about everyone, she doesn't deserve to have a jerk like me. I know she'll be happier with Tapeworm.

So, let's get to the reason I'm still writing. (Yes, there is a point to this entry.) I'm running away. I've hurt myself, and probably too many other of my friends. That's it I guess. I know Cody will find the drawer key in the pencil container, and read this eventually. But for now, I'm leaving tomorrow night."

My jaw drops, purple eyes wide in horror. "Where will he go? He can't leave! Anything could happen to him alone on the streets of Boston. How can we stop him?" Cody put his hand on my shoulder gently.

Alan moved to comfort both of us, and we began to talk about the painful matter of losing Zachary Martin. Cody looked like he was about to burst, unable to stand the thought of losing his twin. Slowly, a plan began to hatch in my mind, the only betrayal of my thoughts showing in my clouded piercing purple eyes. Cody and Alan recognized the expression and exchanged a more confident smile. Zack wasn't going anywhere if -and when- I had anything to do with it.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Okay, I know it's taken me 3-4 months to update my stories and I'm ****really**** sorry! I haven't been able to use my computer for a while, and I also went on a really long trip. I'm trying really hard to get a couple of chapters lined up for each of my stories in case I don't have time to type them. Again, sorry for the wait and thanks to anyone who's reading, especially DarkElements10 for PMing me!  
**

**Chapter 15**

Cody's POV

I held my breath as the suite's door clicked softly shut behind Zack. The clock on our bedroom wall read 11:43 as I pulled on my shoes, a pair of jeans, and a dark grey shirt. I slipped out the door behind Zack and began to run silently down the hall.

Shadows danced outside the windows of the corridor, but I was focused intently on keeping up with Zack and making sure our plan worked. He took the stairs on the right side of the elevators, so I took the left. I let him get to the lobby first, and then I ducked behind Moseby's desk when I came into the silent lobby. Luckily, Mr. Moseby was in his office.

I backed slowly into the hallway and watched as Zack adjusted the grey duffel bag on his shoulder and turned to glance back. His eyes danced around the room, at the message board describing Mom's next show, at the aquarium where we so often went "fishing" together, and finally at the spot where his skateboard sat, just how he'd left it, in the perfect position for someone to trip over it. He shook his head and turned slowly around to leave.

His intense blue gaze landed on a familiar face in front of him, a face framed with one streak of red and black hair. "What? Zack, where are you going?" Rikku asked softly, confused.

"What the hell . . . Cody, what's going on?" Ryan protested as I shoved him into the lobby . . .

Rumiku's POV

"Cody!" I called, smiling. He turned around, almost in the elevator to the lobby. "You know you can't go down there until Zack, Rikku, and Ryan have talked." I yawned, glancing at my watch which now said 11:57. When I glanced back up, I found myself staring into red eyes.

I leapt backwards just in time to avoid being crushed by a beam of ice. Flipping forward, I neatly dodged a torrent of water that was rushing at my head with frightening speed. The water, like the ice, smashed into the wall behind me.

I gasped for breath as I raced down the hallway and towards the emergency exit at the end of the corridor. I had never seen Cody fight with this much intensity. Somehow, the Darkness was back.

Just as I flung the door open, Cody's eyes flashed blue again, and he stumbled, giving me a precious few seconds to work. I closed my eyes in concentration and was almost instantly surrounded in a purple aura. I held out my hands and my eyes shot open. The ruins of broken plaster and crumbling walls slipped back into place and the standing water evaporated. The hallway showed no sign of our battle, and I turned to sprint down the 23 flights of fire escape stairs.

Cody was following close behind me. He jumped onto the stair rail and slid quickly on the thin layer of ice he formed. As beams of ice and water flooded down the stairs after me, I decided to fight back.

An intense purple beam shattered the ice on the rails ahead of Cody and abruptly slowed his descent. He stumbled again, and crashed down the flight of stairs. Regaining his balance once more, he abandoned the stair rails and chased me on foot. We reached the bottom of the stairs and burst out into the nearly empty parking lot.

I spun around, finished running from this thing, it sure wasn't Cody. "If you want to fight, I'll give you a fight you won't forget!"

Rikku's POV

"What the hell . . . Cody, what's going on?" Ryan protested as he was suddenly shoved unceremoniously into the lobby. In spite of my jumbled feelings for him and Zack, I still found my signature smirk sliding across my face.

"What's . . . up guys?" Zack broke the silence.

"I'm getting the feeling that our friends don't like us fighting," I muttered, turning away. Zack and Ryan laughed for a moment, before their smiles faded and were replaced with silent, guarded looks.

"Want to . . . sit?" Zack asked, and we all walked over the couches in the lobby.

Mr. Moseby was still in his office, Estabon was helping Arwin in the basement, and the normal Tipton night-shift worker was sick, so we were alone in the silent room.

"Look, if we're 'sposed to talk, why isn't anyone saying anything?" Ryan spoke up harshly, so sudden that Zack and I jerked our heads up in surprise.

I remained silent, not wanting to be here in the first place and wondering where Zack had been headed. He caught my gaze on his duffel bag and looked away, his blue eyes dark with a mixture of hurt and guilt. Just the look in his eyes made me sick with regret over everything that was happening to us.

"He's right y'know," Zack mumbled quietly. "We need to talk, Rikk."

"Okay. You guys do the talking, and I'll listen," I snapped fiercely. Zack flinched as though I had slapped him. I sighed, "Fine, what is there to talk about?"

Ryan shot me an irritated look, "You should know better than anyone."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I shot back, my glowing red eyes narrowed.

"Oh, don't pretend like this is my fault, Rikku! I kissed you, you flipped out, and Zack stopped talking to us like the world was ending. I don't see how you can pretend nothing happened," Ryan smirked.

I jerked back in my chair, the hurt written across my face making me speak, "Well, how would you feel considering two of your best friends are at each other's throats over you?"

"Who said either of us liked you?" Ryan's comeback was lame, and I could tell he knew it.

"Well, that solves all my problems knowing one of my best friends doesn't even care about me!"

"That's not what I said!" Ryan crossed his arms, his features sharp with anger.

"Would you two just SHUTUP!" Zack yelled. He stood up, both hands in tight fists. "If we're not going to talk about this without just fighting more, I'm out." He began to storm away.

I sighed heavily. "Zack, wait. We do need to talk. And _I'm _ready to do it peacefully." With the last remark, I shot Ryan a dirty look.

He rolled his eyes, "Me too."

"What tore us apart like this anyway? I mean, besides you kissing me, Ryan, what tore _all_ of us apart? Alan, Ru, and Cody, then you, Ryan, and I. What happened to us?" I aimed my question more towards Zack, thinking he would probably be the one to answer.

"_Hormones_," Ryan coughed, but I ignored him.

Zack finally looked up and replied. "All the relationships are ruining our friendships. I guess, I liked Rikku from about the first time I really met her, but Ryan," He paused and met Ryan's gaze steadily, "You and Rikku have been friends for years. No one can stand to see the way you two are fighting now."

"He's right. Rikku, when did all the fighting start? When I told you that I liked you, and Zack and I started arguing over you. That has to mean something. When we were all just friends, we almost never fought.

"I really like you, Rikk, but if I can't have you as my friend and girlfriend, then it's not worth it. I'd rather stay friends with you than have this wreck our relationship all together," Ryan smiled. "If that's alright with you."

"Yeah, it is," I nodded, grinning back. It was a grin I could only share with Ryan, who had been –and would be- my friend for almost as long as I could remember.

Suddenly, the door of the elevator opened and Nicki stepped out. She saw us talking and immediately guessed she shouldn't interrupt. "Um, sorry. I'll just . . . uh, go," She turned back around into the elevator again.

"Hey, uh, why don't you guys talk? I'm . . . I'm gonna go catch up with Nicki," Ryan smiled and waited for the elevator to come back again, before waving as the doors closed shut.

"You really liked me since the first day we met?" I asked Zack, smiling.

"Well, I . . . yeah," Zack replied, flustered. I smirked to see him, Zack Martin, blushing. "I just always thought that you liked Ryan, even though we both fought over you and stuff."

"Zack, I liked both or you until . . . Well, actually it's kinda weird, but I didn't stop liking Ryan until he kissed me. I guess we both realized our friendship was more important," I smiled. Every racing emotion and spiraling thought I'd been feeling throughout the past few days seemed to fall into place as Zack smiled back.

"I guess what I've been trying to tell you this entire time is . . . is that I l-" Zack was cut off by a loud crash outside and a flash of purple light through the window. He doubled over in pain, his eyes narrowed in concentration.

When the wave of pain had passed, he looked up, "It's Cody. I can't tell exactly what's happening, but I can tell that the Darkness is in him again. He's battling Ru and . . ." He trailed off, grinning.

"And what?" I asked impatiently.

"And she's kicking his ass."

I laughed, and we both stood up and walked to the door, "Then I guess this will have to wait."

"Well, there's one thing that can't," Zack replied. Before I knew what was happening, he put one arm around my waist and pulled me into a kiss. When we broke apart a moment later, we were both smiling . . .


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: DarkElements10 actually did this chapter for me while I worked on Sands of Time and California Dreaming, thanks to them for working on this update! **

**Chapter 16**

Rumiku's P.O.V

"Cody, this isn't the real you" I cried, crossing my arms over my chest as he aimed kicks and punches at me. Cody's red eyes glowed a darker red.

"Shut up and fight" Cody hissed. I pushed him way from me and flipped backwards on top of a parked car. I let out a slow breath, my eyes narrowing into a glare. A purple aura surrounded my body as I focused on my elemental powers.

"Alright, fine" I hissed, sinking into a fighting position. "Just don't blame me when you get your ass kicked. Judile Flip; Darkness!" I did a spinning flip off of the top of the car and kicked Cody in the stomach.

With a smirk, he grabbed onto my foot and twisted it. Making a face against the pain, I brought up my other leg and slammed it into the side of Cody's head. Cody hissed in pain and fell to the ground. I landed gracefully on my hands and knees and walked over to him.

"Tsunami Crash" he hissed, slamming his fist into my stomach. I let out a chocked cry as a wave of water slammed into my stomach, throwing me back. I slammed into the side of a car and flipped over the other end.

"The Darkness is back, but why?" I whispered to myself as I ducked down behind the car.

"Oh, we're playing hide and seek now?" Cody called out tauntingly. "Alright, I'll find you. Don't you worry."

"I'm going to have to ask Sydney to check this out" I said, getting to my knees and looking under the gap of the car. "But now, I have a fight to win. I need to save my friend." I jumped as Cody landed on top of the street lamp that was sitting in front of me.

"Don't you hate it when you get found early on in the game?" Cody asked tauntingly. "Light isn't your best quality, sweetie. Well then again, maybe that's why you have the element of Darkness."

Feeling insulted, I jumped on top of the car I was hiding behind. I balled my hands into fists and glared up at Cody. They glowed black as I gritted my teeth angrily.

"Aw, did I strike a nerve?" Cody asked in a baby voice.

"Darkness Orbs!" I yelled throwing orb after orb after orb at Cody.

"Ice Spear!" Cody yelled, dodging the orbs and diving towards me, his right arm outstretched. A spear made completely of ice appeared in his hand. He gripped it tightly in his hand and shoved it towards my next.

"Heavy blade" I whispered.

A big black and silver sword appeared in my hands. I swung it in a giant arc and broke through the ice spear and scratched Cody across the cheek. Cody screamed in pain and kicked me in the jaw. Groaning in pain, I flew back a couple of feet and skidded on the ground a few feet.

"Rumiku, stop fighting Cody" Rikku yelled as she and Zack ran out of the hotel and into the parking lot.

"Can't do that" I hissed, wiping a line of blood off my arm. "Cody is being controlled by the Darkness. I have to fight him. I'll get you your brother back, Zack. I swear."

"Are you sure you're not the one that's doing this?" Zack asked. I turned and shot him my famous death glare. He flinched like I knew he would. "Sorry."

"I'll get him back" I repeated. "DeathLiger, I need your help"

"Yes, my mistress" DeathLiger replied, appearing in his animal form beside me. I smiled at him and climbed onto his back.

"Two can play at this game" Cody growled. "Phantom!"

"Sir" Phantom, Cody's guardian, appeared beside him in his animal form and Cody climbed onto his back, taking to the skies.

"After him" I commanded, digging my knees into DeathLiger's side. Letting out a bloodcurdling roar, DeathLiger, ran up into the sky, darkness under his paws to help him run on thin air.

"Tsunami Crash" Cody yelled, throwing, torrent after torrent, after torrent of water at me.

"Dodge it" I commanded. DeathLiger nodded and barrel rolled out of the way. He got to his feet and continued running towards Cody. "Get read y for the Darkness Atom attack."

"Yes, my mistress" DeathLiger replied, his eyes narrowing into a glare.

A purple light glowed in between his teeth as he pulled his lips back into a growl. I clasped my hands together as purple energy formed between my hands. The energy grew more and more, forcing my hands and DeathLiger's teeth apart.

"Darkness Atom!" I called, bringing my arms behind my head. DeathLiger threw his head back, letting out a furious roar. Throwing my arms forward, DeathLiger and I released the pent up energy and threw them at Cody.

"Water Shield" Cody yelled, throwing up his hands. A orb of water surrounded him and Phantom. The Darkness bounced off the water and headed for DeathLiger and me.

"Hold your ground" I whispered in DeathLiger's ear. He nodded and braced for the impact. "Ah." I let out a weak cry as the darkness energy slammed into DeathLiger and I. Bracing ourselves, we allowed the Darkness energy get sucked back into our body.

"You're going to have to do better than that to defeat me" Cody hissed. I nudged DeathLiger in the sides and turned him around.

"What's going on?" Zack asked as DeathLiger set his paws to the ground.

"Cody is even stronger than I thought" I said, breathlessly.

"What are you going to do, Ru?" Rikku asked, looking up at the sky where Cody was doing a dive bomb towards us.

"The only thing I can do" I replied in a dull tone. "This'll take up all of your energy DeathLiger. Are you ready for it?"

"Ru, no" Zack said forcefully. "I can't let you use this attack. It's too powerful and you could really get hurt."

"That's the chance I have to take to get Cody back" I muttered.

"Do you love Cody that much?" Rikku asked quietly.

I bowed my head, deep in thought. Letting out a heavy sigh, I nudged DeathLiger in the sides and he took off into the air.

"Would you quit talking to those losers and fight me?" Cody demanded as DeathLiger ran past him. We ascended into the air and turned around to face him.

I didn't answer and glared down at Cody. "This is for your own good, Codes" I whispered. "I'm sorry." DeathLiger and I started to glow purple. My hair started to stand on end and whip around my face as I concentrated on all of the energy in my body. DeathLiger let out a loud roar; I knew this was hurting him as much as me.

"CHAOS OF DESTRUCTION!" DeathLiger and I yelled as we released the pent up energy. They blurred together into a single form of energy and shot through Cody.

He screamed in pain and grabbed onto his shoulders, squeezing them tightly. Phantom disappeared and Cody plummeted to the ground. He slammed onto the top of a parked car and lay still.

"I'm sorry, my mistress" DeathLiger whispered. "I'm so tired."

I let out a slow breath as DeathLiger disappeared from underneath me. I used up some of my left over energy to stay hovering in the air. I looked down at Cody and saw that his eyes were flashing repeatedly from red to blue.

"He's still not back to normal" I hissed, seeing his eyes flash back to red and stay red. "This is the only way to get him back to normal."

I hovered up to a street lamp and rested on top. I bowed my head and shut my eyes in pain as wings sprouted from my shoulder blades. Once my wings were sprouted fully, I stood up and glared down at Cody. He was slowly getting to his feet.

Sighing, I let the darkness inside me take over my body. Spreading my wings, I jumped off the top of the street lamp and glided down towards Cody. A sword made purely of Darkness appeared in my hands.

"Night Shade" I whispered, passing through Cody's body.

Cody let out a loud scream and was knocked off the top of the car. Losing all of my energy, the wings and sword disappeared and Cody and I slammed into the ground. Cody fell unconscious immediately.

"Codes! Ru!" Zack yelled as he and Rikku raced to our side.

"Ru, are you okay?" Rikku asked, helping me to my feet.

"I will be after a good rest" I muttered, putting my arm around her shoulders and putting most of my weight on her. "But we should be getting Cody back to the hotel. Sydney needs to look him over."

"I don't understand what happened" Zack said shaking his head as he lifted Cody into his arms. "One minute he was fine and the next I could feel you kicking his ass."

"Whatever it is, Sydney will figure it out" Rikku said as they headed into the hotel . . .

* * *

Sydney's POV

I yawned and climbed out of my bed as there was a quiet knock on my door. "Yeah?" I asked, opening the door. I stepped back in confusion when I saw Rikku helping an exhausted Rumiku into my room and over to my bed to sit, followed back Zack who carried Cody, apparently unconscious. "What happened?" I asked.

"We don't know," Rumiku replied. "That's why we're here . . . "


End file.
